Category Archives: Big Green Egg Cooking

I tend to get bored easy and move on from most obsessions. I went through a tea phase where I became obsessed then quickly drop it. Mrs. Nola Nerd Couple was afraid that I was going to do that with a smoker so she was hesitant to get me the Big Green Egg..

Ok, I have only had my Big Green Egg for two and half months and this is my third post on it (here and here). I am a little obsessed. When I’m not cooking on it, I’m thinking about cooking on it. What is great about the Big Green Egg, and barbecue in general, is that there is no “right” way to do it. Now, of course, there is a difference between grilling and barbecuing. Of course, the Big Green Egg is not perfect. It is not as good as an offset pit that allows for true indirect cooking. However, considering my lack of a backyard, it is perfect for my needs. Adding a plate setter allows to cheat the structure of the Egg to do some indirect cooking. That and the fact that I can control the temperature of my cooks allows me to do what every type of cook I want (barbecue, grilling, cookout, and even baking) on the same instrument.

Big Green Egg Mini Max

First Rib Cook

What makes the Big Green Egg so enjoyable is the number of resources available. Here is a few of my favorites:

Big Green Egg: Plenty of good recipes and videos to help you get started.

EggHead Forum: I admit, I am a lurker on these forums. I often look at threads for different advice. I have noticed that for every situation there are 10 solutions and all are correct. Barbecue is a science, but it is not an exact one.

Amazing Ribs: Not a Big Green Egg site, but a general slow and low site. Good, solid advice that also helps explain the science behind slow and low cooks.

Big Green Craig: A guy who love to cook on his Big Green Egg and Komodo cooking in general. He keeps up a blog with pictures that will make your mouth water.

Bouillie: One of the best, if not the best, blogs about Louisiana cooking and food. While not a blog dedicated to the Big Green Egg, if you look to the right side you will see a tag cloud with Big Green Egg toward the top. Click it and you will find some interesting ways to use the Big Green Egg.

Again, these are just a few resources. I really could make this blog several pages long with all the resources available. And no, we don’t receive anything from Big Green Egg to talk about it. We just really love our BGE and for people like us with limited space and a small family, the Mini Max is a brilliant purchase for people who love to cook outdoors.

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For Mardi Gras week, we skipped most parades except for my hometown parade. We took it easy and just relaxed at home. This meant I cooked almost exclusively on the Big Green Egg. For all my cooks I used Big Green Egg Lump charcoal. Here is a run down:

From the moment that I learned of the Big Green Egg, I’ve wanted one. A ceramic cooker that can smoke, grill, and roast sounds like heaven. However, for one reason or another, we kept putting off getting it.

After a few cooks of chicken breasts, I did my first slow and low cook. My local grocer had some St. Louis ribs for a good price. I bought some rub instead of making my own. I bought the only BBQ rub the store had that day, which wasn’t bad. I can’t wait to try Dizzy Pig rubs as well as make my own. Around noon I split the rack in half so it could fit on the minimax. I coated one with olive oil and applied the rub while I coated the other with mustard and did the same. I placed the ribs back in the fridge. Around 1:30 I lit the Big Green Egg using Big Green Egg brand Lump Charcoal. I also added some apple wood chunks. Once I got the grill to 250, I put the plate setter and grill on and then the ribs. I also put on two potatoes to slow cook at the same time. I monitored the egg until it reached 250 again. Once it got there, I adjusted the vents so the tempature stabilized.

Big Green Egg Mini Max

The big green egg held the temperature for the next 3 hours making the ribs look like this:

I then wrapped the ribs in foil with butter, honey, rub, and apple juice. I put them back on for another 45 minutes. Here are some pictures of the final result.

First Rib Cook

The final result was a little drier than I wanted them to be, but they were very tasty. I think the last 45 minutes might have been too long or I didn’t add enough juice. I didn’t use a drip pan either. The flavoring was fantastic, however. If I want to be a pit master, I’ll have to make some adjustments. While I don’t ever plan on competing, I do want to take cooking on the big green egg seriously enough that my cooks can compete. Any advice is welcomed!

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Nola Nerd Couple aims to provide you with interesting stories about nerdy things. Our blog used to be called CookTravelEat but we realized that the stories we wanted to tell were broader than that focus. Nola Nerd Couple is always looking for new adventures to write about. We are based out of New Orleans but our adventures takes us far and wide. Also don't forget to follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and subscribe to our YouTube channel and iTunes podcast by searching for Nola Nerd Couple.

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